Stir together the flour and salt and cut in shortening with a pastry blender until it is crumbly. Add the ice-cold water a little at a time, using just enough to bind everything together so that the dough can be gently formed into a ball. Handle the dough as little as possible.

Keep the dough chilled. It is best to make the dough a day in advance and refrigerate it. Or put the dough in the freezer to cool for a while before rolling it out.

Roll out the dough as thinly as possible or to a thickness of about 1/8 inch (3 mm). Cut into 4-inch (10 cm) rounds. Press rounds of pastry into medium-sized muffin tins.

Makes about 34 butter tart shells.

Tart filling:

Double recipe if using above pastry recipe.

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup walnuts (or pecans or raisins)

Mix all ingredients except nuts. Divide the nuts (or raisins) placing an equal amount in each of the tart shells. Fill each tart shell about 2/3 full and bake in a hot oven (400 degrees F) for 17 minutes or until the pastry is lightly golden.

I use walnuts from my family’s farm in Markham and fair trade dark brown sugar.

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